I cannot remember the date, but my son was at BWB last time the School Committee determined that BWB should be closed (between 10 and 14 years ago). I remember how it felt to see the possibility that such a great local institution might be closed. I felt badly hurt that my school was slated to close. I took it personally because I had a lot invested in BWB. I have walked in the shoes of the parents of schools now selected for closure. I know how they feel.

Last time, the School Committee did not handle the situation well. They did not announce previously that there was a possibility that a school would have to be closed. There were no criteria selected to decide which school should be closed. There was no reasoning published behind the decision to choose BWB as opposed to any other school. The committee just announced the intention of closing the school. Huge changes were coming fast, and change is very scary. We were very angry, and I understand why the parents of the schools slated for closure are angry.

As a member of the BWB School Council, I attended a hearing where the decision to move away from neighborhood schools was confirmed. The committee charged to determine which schools should be closed first (headed by the very experienced Tom McDonald) did a great job of determining the criteria to decide which schools should be first to close based on common-sense factors like the age, condition of the buildings, the geographic location, the mix of students attending the school, the number of students living in the area, the size of the school, and the presence of adequate land for possible expansion, the proximity to other organizations in the town , etc.

I think that it is not appropriate to talk about all the great things that are happening at BWB at this time, though they are numerous and extraordinary. The school committee knows about those issues. The Committee has become mired in a NIMBY issue. The Committee needs to lift themselves out of the situation.

This is not about the school spirit at various schools. This is not about the great teachers at the individual schools; great teachers can be just as effective at other schools. It is not about the various successes at the different schools. This cannot be about who yells the loudest about which school is best. This has to be a decision based on common-sense factors that we can see and measure.

I would ask the school committee to re-examine the criteria that have led them in the direction of choosing which schools to close. I believe that they will find that there is good common sense and logic behind their original determination.

I expect that the School Committee is made up of people with strong minds who hold themselves, accountable to the principle of doing the next right thing for the town. They will listen politely to the opinions of the parents of various schools that have been suggested for closure. They will keep their ears open to any new factors that might be relevant to their decision. They will make a decision based on measurable statistics and facts. They will ignore the village politicking and pressure from specific parents, and they will decide to do what is best for the town.

Whitney P. Wright

Barnstable

No time to second-guess Wequaquet sewers

As members of the Wequaquet Lake Protective Association, Inc., we wish to clarify and take issue with some of the points raised in David Still’s Jan. 16th article, “Wequaquet sewers may need to wait.”

The Wequaquet Lake area was designated as an area of concern in Phase I of the Town’s Wastewater Facilities Plan due to the numerous houses within 100 feet of the lake that are on lots too small for a Title 5 system. Many of those houses have on-site wells and are plagued with high ground water conditions. The need to sewer the lake is mainly based on protecting drinking water. However, there are several other good reasons that bringing sewers to the lake is important.

The Wastewater Facilities Plan is a comprehensive plan that involves the entire Town. In addition to protecting drinking water for those living around the lake, a sewer system would also protect the water quality of the lake. While it is correct that the Wequaquet Lake is currently meeting state regulations, according to the Lake Wequaquet Water Quality Assessment Report the water quality of the lake has worsened significantly between 1986 and 2007. In addition, the report states that the Main Basin and Bearse Pond are moving toward conditions that will not meet regulations. The report goes on to state that the total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and chlorophyll-a concentrations are all above recommended Cape Cod specific standards. Since wastewater contributes the majority of the phosphorus and nitrogen, sewers around the lake would decrease amount of these nutrients entering the lake.

In addition, since the water from Wequaquet Lake flows into Long Pond and then into the Centerville River, lowering the nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) in the lake, it would also lower the nutrients entering the southwestern embayments. Extending the sewer around the lake is a win/win situation. It would help protect groundwater as well as the water quality of the lake and impaired southwestern embayments.

Our Town has put together a well thought out wastewater plan that has been approved by both the Massachusetts Environmental Protection Agency and the Cape Cod Commission. Now is not the time to second-guess this plan. It is the time to implement it!

Gail T. Maguire, PhD, WLPA president

Paul Canniff, DMD, board member and past WLPA president

Prescription drug program confusing

The Medicare prescription drug program must be changed.

Currently, it is very difficult for Medicare members to choose from the many plans now available. For example, there are 47 plans that offer coverage for the drugs I use. The annual cost for these prescription medicines including premiums and cost of the drugs at a local pharmacy ranges from $1,283 to $2,720: more than a $1,300 difference between the lowest and highest cost plan.

Why must Medicare members pay unnecessarily high prices for drugs essential to their well-being? We need a plan that is readily understandable, has one premium for all, no deductibles and a uniform price structure.

While the drug manufacturers are essential as are the distributors of the drugs, the plethora of plans now offered by numerous insurance companies can be eliminated and replaced by one Medicare prescription drug plan. Drugs stores and five Medicare-approved regional mail order pharmacies could fill all prescriptions at a tremendous cost savings to individuals as well as to the federal government ("we the people").

Congressional representatives are urged to effect a meaningful change in the current Medicare prescription drug program.

Robert F. Casey

Centerville

Bring back the punk!

Recently, Sirius XM radio made some changes in their new channel line-up; sadly, that included taking The Punk Channel, Boombox, and The Super Shuffle off the air! I, like many others, would like to see these channels back on the air again, but not without your help!

I call upon all music lovers, young and old, Sirius subscribers or not, to go and e-mail Sirius XM, and tell them to return these channels to their line-up once more! I know with your help, we can!